Applicants must comply with E.O. 12372 if their State(s) participates. Review process recommendations from the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.

Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS) / Single State Agency Coordination:

Applicants must send the PHSIS to appropriate State and local health agencies by application deadline. Comments from Single State Agency are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.

Description

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2014 PPHF-2014 Campus Suicide Prevention grants (PPHF-2014). The purpose of this program is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to preventing suicide in institutions of higher education. This program is designed to assist colleges and universities build a foundation for their efforts to prevent suicide attempts and completions and to enhance services for students with mental and substance use disorders that put them at risk for suicide and suicide attempts.

The Campus Suicide Prevention grants support an array of campus activities to help grantees build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. Grant funds cannot be used for direct clinical services.

SAMHSA has demonstrated that behavioral health is essential to health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from mental and substance use disorders. Behavioral health services improve health status and reduce health care and other costs to society. Continued improvement in the delivery and financing of prevention, treatment and recovery support services provides a cost effective opportunity to advance and protect the nation’s health. To continue to improve the delivery and financing of prevention, treatment and recovery support services, SAMHSA has identified eight Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency’s work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. The Campus Suicide Prevention grant closely aligns with SAMHSA’s Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Strategic Initiative as well as the expected impact on behavioral health disparities (Appendix H of the RFA: Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities). More information is available at the SAMHSA website.

The Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program is authorized under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (Section 520E-2 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended) and is financed by the Prevention and Public Health Funds (PPHF-2014). This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD.

Eligibility

Eligibility for SAMHSA’s Campus Suicide Prevention Grant program is statutorily limited to institutions of higher education. Applicants from both public and private institutions may apply, including State universities, private four-year colleges and universities (including those with religious affiliations), Minority Serving Institutions of higher learning (i.e. Tribal colleges and universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Hispanic-serving institutions and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions), and community colleges.

Entities that have previously been awarded a Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant are not eligible. SAMHSA is limiting the eligibility to applicants who have not previously received an award in order to allow for a broader distribution of the limited funds across campuses and universities. Since the purpose of this program is to facilitate a comprehensive approach to preventing suicide in institutions of higher education, this program assists colleges and universities in preventing suicide attempts and completions. It also enhances services for students with mental and behavioral health problems, such as depression and substance use/abuse that put them at risk for suicide and suicide attempts. These grants assist colleges and universities in having a campus free from the tragedy of suicide.

Such institutions may carry out the activities of this grant through for example, college health/wellness/counseling centers, college and university psychological services centers, mental/behavioral health centers, psychological training clinics, academic departments or institutions of higher education-supported, evidence-based mental health and substance abuse programs. The activities of this grant may be carried out with the engagement of student-run services such as student organizations and/or student government councils. If a consortium is formed to carry out the activities of this grant, a single institution in the consortium must be the legal applicant, the recipient of the award on behalf of the consortium, and the entity legally responsible for satisfying the grant requirements.

Award Information

Funding Mechanism:

Grant

Anticipated Total Available Funding:

$1,416,558

Anticipated Number of Awards:

Approximately 14

Anticipated Award Amount:

Up to $102,000 per year

Length of Project:

Up to 3 years

Cost Sharing/Match Required?:

Yes

Proposed budgets cannot exceed $102,000 in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project. Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports, and compliance with all terms and conditions of award. This program is financed entirely with PPHF funds.

Funding estimates for this announcement are based on potential funding from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF).